If you love Hinduism, Here's what Manusriti says for your daughters and wife!!

1. Manusmriti 5.148

बाल्ये पितुर्वशे तिष्ठेत्पाणिग्राहस्य यौवने ।
पुत्राणां भर्तरि प्रेते न भजेत्स्त्री स्वतन्त्रताम् ॥

Meaning:
In childhood, a woman should remain under her father's authority; in youth, under her husband's; and after her husband's death, under her sons. A woman should never be independent.

2. Manusmriti 9.3

पिता रक्षति कौमारे भर्ता रक्षति यौवने ।
रक्षन्ति स्थविरे पुत्रा न स्त्री स्वातन्त्र्यमर्हति ॥

Meaning:
Her father protects her in childhood, her husband in youth, and her sons in old age. A woman is not entitled to independence.

3. Manusmriti 5.154

पाणिग्राहस्य साध्वी स्त्री जीवतो वा मृतस्य वा ।
पतिलोकमभीप्सन्ती नाचरेत्किं चिदप्रियम् ॥

Meaning:
A good wife, desiring to reach her husband's world, should never do anything displeasing to her husband, whether he is alive or dead.

4. Manusmriti 5.155

कामं तु क्षपयेद्देहं पुष्पमूलफलैः शुभैः ।
न तु नामापि गृह्णीयात्पत्यौ प्रेते परस्य तु ॥

Meaning:
After her husband's death, a woman may waste away her body surviving on flowers, roots and fruits, but she should not even utter the name of another man.

5. Manusmriti 5.162

व्यभिचारात्तु भर्तुः स्त्री लोके प्राप्नोति निन्द्यताम् ।
शृगालयोनिं प्राप्नोति पापरोगैश्च पीड्यते ॥

Meaning:
A woman who fails in her duty to her husband becomes despised in the world, is reborn as a jackal, and suffers from foul diseases.

6. Manusmriti 8.371

भर्तारं लङ्घयेद्या तु स्त्री ज्ञातिगुणदर्पिता ।
तां श्वभिः खादयेद्राजा संस्थाने बहुसंस्थिते ॥

Meaning:
A woman who, out of pride in her relatives or her own qualities, violates her duty toward her husband should be made by the king to be devoured by dogs in a public place.

7. Manusmriti 8.270

एकजातिर्द्विजातींस्तु वाचा दारुणया क्षिपन् ।
जिह्वायाः प्राप्नुयाच्छेदं जघन्यप्रभवो हि सः ॥

Meaning:
If a Shudra insults a twice-born person with harsh words, his tongue should be cut off, because he is considered to be of low birth.

8. Manusmriti 8.271

नामजातिग्रहं त्वेषामभिद्रोहेण कुर्वतः ।
निक्षेप्योऽयोमयः शङ्कुर्ज्वलन्नास्ये दशाङ्गुलः ॥

Meaning:
If a low-born person contemptuously mentions the name or caste of a higher-caste person, a burning iron nail ten inches long should be thrust into his mouth.

9. Manusmriti 8.272

धर्मोपदेशं दर्पेण विप्राणामस्य कुर्वतः ।
तप्तमासेचयेत् तैलं वक्त्रे श्रोत्रे च पार्थिवः ॥

Meaning:
If a Shudra arrogantly teaches Brahmins their duties, the king should pour heated oil into his mouth and ears.

10. Manusmriti 8.279

येन केन चिदङ्गेन हिंस्याच्चेत्श्रेष्ठमन्त्यजः ।
छेत्तव्यं तद् तदेवास्य तन् मनोरनुशासनम् ॥

Meaning:
If a low-born person harms a person of a higher caste with any limb, that very limb should be cut off. This is Manu's rule.

The Supreme Court recently cited the Manusmriti while ruling that a widowed daughter-in-law is entitled to maintenance from her deceased father-in-law’s estate, invoking Manusmriti 8.389 as evidence of a family head’s duty to support female relatives. But the same text is also known for verses prescribing women’s dependence and codifying caste hierarchies. If Manusmriti is invoked as a source of “fundamental principles of Hindu law,” shouldn’t its entire social philosophy including its discriminatory provisions also be examined honestly?